IN response to Raymond Harben, comments on the fire station being built in the wrong place and the fire appliances having to turn left along the A1237 towards Hopgrove (March 13).

What Mr Harben has not taken into account is the fire station is not yet operational and, when commissioned, the fire appliances when responding to an emergency will have the option to turn left or right.

Also, the very suggestion that councillors and planning officers were conned into giving planning permission is completely without foundation. The planning committee put this planning application under close scrutiny and only when they were completely satisfied with the proposal did they give planning approval.

The original decision by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority to provide a new fire station north of York, was to meet the statutory response times to the residential areas of Strensall, Haxby, Wigginton and the more rural areas. Home-related fire deaths account for more than 400 people every year and the provision of a new fire station can only be good news for the residents north of York.

Councillor Richard Cregan,

Vice-chair,

North Yorkshire Fire Authority,

City of York Council.

...IT is clearly stated within the planning approval that the fire engine will turn directly west when responding to an emergency in that direction. The road geometry has been designed to accommodate this.

The fire station provides enhanced cover to some of the commercial premises on the outskirts of the city, however I am particularly pleased that the fire station is well placed to provide a speedy response to the communities of Strensall, Haxby and Wigginton where we are currently failing to meet national attendance standards to fires.

Each year more than 600 people die from a fire and 400 of those in their own home. Obviously this is an area of greatest risk from fire, but sadly many people are also injured following road traffic accidents and other emergencies.

Our mission is to safeguard communities from fire and other emergencies and, clearly, the location of a new fire station on its present site will add substantially to the safety of citizens living or travelling in the 'north York' area.

I sense that most of your readers will see the new fire station as a positive benefit to the community.

Based on statistics I can almost guarantee that within its first year of operation it will save lives.

By way of an update the fire station is now close to completion and we have recruited around 15 people from the nearby villages to serve as firefighters. E L Clark,

Chief Fire Officer,

N Yorks Fire & Rescue Service,

Brigade Headquarters,

Crosby Road,

Northallerton.

Updated: 10:43 Friday, April 05, 2002